A ‘truly talented’ champion rider who trained Queen Elizabeth’s horse died after suffering major trauma in a fall during an equestrian contest, an inquest has heard.

Sophie Fouracre, 34, was riding through Swalcliffe Equestrian Park in Oxfordshire on July 18 when she fell from her mare, Rhubarbsfox Britannia, and suffered ‘significant injuries’.

The married mother-of-two was treated by paramedics on site, six miles from Banbury, but was declared dead at the scene.

Following a post-mortem examination a pathologist concluded she died of ‘massive trauma’.

Her death came just hours before another horse rider, 42-year-old Kerry Donoghue, died while riding Carneyhaugh Rua in a separate event at Penrith in Cumbria.

An air ambulance was dispatched to Frenchfield Farm in Penrith but Ms Donoghue could not be saved.

Both women’s horses were uninjured.

Ms Fouracre had just returned from a family holiday in Italy but went straight back to her job as a professional eventer.

Sophie Fouracre, 34, was riding through Swalcliffe Equestrian Park in Oxfordshire on July 18 when she fell from Rhubarbsfox Brittania, suffering ‘significant injuries’. She is seen here at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials on September 14, 2023

Ms Fouracre was described as a skilled rider, who was trusted to ride four of the late queen’s own horses, and she had competed at the Burghley Horse Trials

She was described as a skilled rider, who was trusted to ride four of the late queen’s own horses, and she had competed at the Burghley Horse Trials, which is classified by the sport’s governing body as one of the world’s leading events.

Ms Fouracre was originally from Kent but was living in Basingstoke at the time of her death.

She ran her own eventing company where she offered her services as a teacher, and would break in clients’ horses.

The champion rider had just returned from Italy with her husband, Giles Fouracre, the couple’s children and her mother before dying in the accident.

Social media was flooded with tributes following her death, where she was remembered both as a loving mother and an expert horse rider.

Tabby Restall-Young wrote: ‘You are my biggest inspiration, an amazing, beautiful rider and incredible mummy to the most gorgeous children.’

Alilisha Coulson said: ‘Sophie inspired me with her incredible way with horses and her talent.

‘Always a wonderful friend to so many people and above all, a brilliant Mummy.’

Kerry Donoghue, 42, died while riding Carneyhaugh Rua in a separate event at Penrith in Cumbria 

Ms Donoghue and her husband Mathew Donoghue

Ms Donoghue, who died hours later, had appeared on the Equestrian Performance Mindset podcast in the month before her death, where she confessed she was considering quitting the sport after witnessing a horse crush a fellow rider.

Commenting after the deaths, Rosie Williams, chief executive of British Eventing, said: ‘I want to extend our deepest condolences to Kerry and Sophie’s families, friends and loved ones at this devastating time.

‘We are immensely grateful to the organisers, doctors, paramedics, veterinary teams, officials and emergency services at both events for the professionalism, compassion and care they showed in the most difficult of circumstances.

‘The loss of two members of our eventing family on the same day is almost beyond words, and we know the sadness of these events will be felt profoundly across the sport for some time to come.’ 

The inquest for Ms Fouracre is set to resume on November 23, 2026.

Eventing consists of three phases – dressage, showjumping and cross-country. Both fatal incidents occurred during the cross-country phase.

Deaths are rare in the sport, but there have been several tragic accidents in recent years.

In May 2024, Georgie Campbell, 36, died after her horse fell and landed on her at Bicton International Horse Trials in Devon.

And last August, 37-year-old British rider Sarah Yorke suffered a fatal accident during the cross-country phase of Aston-le-Walls horse trials.

In 2019, 15-year-old British event rider Iona Sclater died during a training session at home, when her pony clipped a hay bale while jumping, somersaulted and landed on her.